1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a common-use connector for multiple purpose, which can connect wire harnesses mutually or connect with a circuit board by using a terminal, a connector housing or a part of the connector housing for common use, and manufacturing method for the connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
An example of a harness connector (wire-to-wire connector) by prior art, for connecting wire harnesses mutually, is shown in FIG. 10. A PCB connector by prior art for connecting with a circuit board is shown in FIG. 13.
A harness connector 60 shown in FIG. 10 is provided with a female connector housing 62 with a spacer 63 shown in FIG. 11 and a male terminal 64 shown in FIG. 12. The spacer 63 and the connector housing 62 are formed by molding with a synthetic resin. The spacer 63 is for locking the terminal 64 in the connector housing 62 so as not to come out rearwardly as shown in FIG. 10.
The connector housing 62, as shown in FIG. 11, is provided, in a front half area thereof, with a connector receiving section 65 having a terminal inserting hole 66 in a bottom wall (a base wall) thereof and, in a rear half area, with a terminal receiving section 67 continuous to the terminal inserting hole 66. A connector housing having the connector receiving section 65 is called the female connector housing 62 and a connector housing inserted into the connector receiving section 65 is called the male connector housing herein. The connector housing 62 is provided with a spacer inserting hole 68 perpendicular to direction of terminal insertion and communicating with the terminal receiving section 67. The spacer 63 is formed into L-shape and is held temporarily to be stuck partially out of an outside wall of the terminal receiving portion 69. In this condition, the male terminal 64 with an electric wire (FIG. 10) is inserted into the terminal receiving section 67 and the terminal 64 is locked by pushing the spacer 63 into the terminal receiving portion 69.
The male terminal 64 shown in FIG. 12 is formed by punching and bending conductive metal sheet, such as copper alloy or aluminum alloy, and is provided in a front half area with tab shape electric contact 70, in a middle area with a box shape portion 71 for locking and in a rear half area with a couple of crimp contact pieces 72 in front and in the rear for electric wire connecting portion.
The tab shape electric contact 70 of the terminal 64, which is inserted into the connector housing 62 as shown in FIG. 10, projects into the connector receiving section 65. A box shape portion 71 in the middle of the terminal is locked at a rear step portion by the spacer 63. In general, the terminal 64 is primarily locked at the other opening thereof by a flexible lance shape locking (not shown) in the terminal receiving section 69 other than the spacer 63.
The PCB connector 61 shown in FIG. 13 is provided with a female connector housing 73 made of a synthetic resin and a male terminal 75 inserted to penetrate a rear portion of the connector housing 73.
The connector housing 73, as shown in FIG. 14, is formed at a front half thereof with a connector receiving portion 76 and at a rear half thereof with a terminal holding portion 77 having a terminal inserting hole 79a communicated to a connector receiving section 78. A terminal 75, as shown in FIG. 15, is formed at a front half thereof with a tab shape electric contact 79, at a rear half thereof with a PCB connecting portion 80 and at left and right side of a middle thereof with a pair of stopper projections 81. The terminal 75 is made to punch conductive metal sheet.
The terminal 75, as shown in FIG. 13, is pressed for fitting into the terminal inserting hole 79a from rear side or front side of the connector housing 73. The stopper projection 81 prevents that the terminal comes out from the connector housing. The PCB connector 61 is mounted perpendicularly on a circuit board 82. The PCB connecting portion 80, which is the rear half portion of the terminal 75, is inserted through the circuit board 82 and is soldered with a printed circuit (not shown) on a rear surface of the circuit board 82. The mating male connector (not shown) is connected with a wire harness.
Objects to be Solved
The terminal 64 of the harness connector 60 and the terminal 75 of the PCB connector 61, as mentioned above, have different shape of each. Therefore, the harness connector 60 and the PCB connector 61 by prior art require two different terminals and two different forming tools for respective terminals to be costly and be troublesome on managing the terminals and tools.
Tolling dies to mold mating male connector housings corresponding to the female harness connector housing 62 and the female PCB connector housing 73 are also required. Totally a lot of tooling dies including respective male and female connector housings are required to be costly and be troublesome of the management.
The connector housing 62 of the harness connector 60 and the connector housing 73 of the PCB connector 61 have different shape to be costly and be troublesome of the management, as same as mentioned above.
As an example by prior art, one tooling die for a terminal 64 of a harness connector 60, one for a terminal 75 of a PCB connector 61, ten for a connector housing 62 and a spacer 63 of the harness connector 60, five for a connector housing 73 of the PCB connector 61 and ten for a connector housing and a spacer of a mating male connector (not shown), i.e. total twenty eight tooling dies, are required.
To overcome the above drawback, one object of this invention is to provide a common-use connector for multiple purpose and manufacturing method for the connector which can reduce number of kinds of terminals and/or connector housings regarding a harness connector and a PCB connector to reduce costs of tooling dies and management thereof.